Method of treating tobacco leaves, process of producing alpha composition for use inthe practice of the method, and resultant composition



Patented Nov. 15, 1 932 nowman or BROOKLYN, nnw'yonmnssienon ro arPLIEn SUGAR-Lemma "ronms'moonromrnn; or nnw YOBKLNIYQ aoonronarron or new Yonx METHO or TREATING 'roBAoco innviasrnoonssor PRODUCING A oom'rosrrron 1 63,

i 1 V usn m mgr; rnacrrcnor. THE METHQQV-ANP ImsUL'rAn'r 'comro'srrron i My invention relatesto a methodof treating tobacco'leaves','a process of producing a composition for use in thepracticeof thev method, and the resultant composition.

An important object .of the invention is to provide a composition which may be sprayed. or otherwise applied to the tobacco leaves so that moisture will be retained therein, thepliability of the leaves increased, and the combustion of the leaves promoted.

In themanufacture of cigarettes, it is com mon practice to employ glycerine, in amounts sometimes exceeding three pounds foreach one hundredpoundsof finished and cut tobacco. This is done for the express purpose of increasing pliability and retaining moisture. There can be no objection to the use ofglycerine on tobacco intended for purposes other than smoking, but whentobacco thus treated is burnt, combustion is retarded,

lein, carbon monoxide is a poison, and should be eliminated. Theeliminationof carbon monoxide maybe effected, if oxygen is pres ent in a sufficient quantity, and all carbohydrates and cellular fibre will be changed into carbon dioxide and water vapor, elim inating the tarry decomposition products,

which discolor teethand cling to the throat.

, To overcomel'the objections ienumerated, i I

provide a composition embodying the present. invention. The composition embodying my invent onw ll retain moisture, produce 'vert sugar. 7

Application filed march 7, r932.::seria1 No. 597,426.

increased pliability and at'thejsam tim mote combustion. -My composition comprises materials or elementsnaturally-present in the tobacco leaf, and this prevents thefoi'mation,

of harmful products, whichoccur. when other materials are added to the tobacco jleaf, such as glycerine, upon the tobacco being smoked, My composition comprises asa suitable material, calcium nitrate, andwhile calcium inis trate as such may not be present int he tobacco leaf, still its constituents, calcium, 7

and nitrates, are bothfpresent in the tobacco leaf. My compositionfurther comprises in- Sugars may or may not ,be present 1n-the tobacco leaf, according to the type examined, butdextrose and levulose areboth found in the component parts of thetobacco plant, and are also found in commercial invert sugar. The proportions of thematerials constituting my composition, necessary to cause i the cigarette tobaccoto have the proper mois; ture, pliability and combustibility, will,obviously, .vary. As anexample, in thetreatment of flue-cured tobacco, whereby sugars and gums have not been entirely removed in the process of curing, difierentproportions of materials will be necessary, than when aircured tobacco is treated. In1air-curedtobacco, sugarshave been changed into corre-- sponding acids, during the curingprocess, whichis .a slowfprocess ofstarvation, and this process of curing has entirely changed the composition ofthe leaf." I

It is not desired to promote-complete combu'sti'onof thetobacco in a-ny type of cigarette or smoking tobacco, fortaste and aroma of smoke depend toa largeextent uponvolatile .7 products formed-by. destructive distillation.

A. regulation of combustion, so that carbon monoxide, acrolein, and other undesirable compounds will be'eliminatfed from the smoke,

is all that is desired. "My-compositionis adapted to be usedto replace glycerine, which is employed in; thetreatmentofztobaccoyand my Qmposition rcl dersit possible to promote combustion to a suitable degree, and prevent Parts by weight Invert sugar syrup of not-less. than 7 5 Brix 260 Calcium nitrate, of crystallized form"- 100 Water 260 In combining these ingredients, the crystallized calcium nitrate is first dissolved in the plete saturation takes place. This composition produces a solution of approximately the same specific gravity as 95% glycerine, andthis solution may be used as'a substitute for glycerine in the treatment of the cured tobacco leaves;fwhereby'the advantages above enumerated will be obtained, and the disadvantages encountered in connection with'the use of ordinary glycerine will be eliminated. My solution may replace glycerine pound. for pound in the treatment of'tobacco'leaves. The calcium nitrate present will attract and retain large quantities of moisture,*while at the same time it is an oxygen bearer, and will'yield oxygen, upon the combustion of the tobacco leaf, to properly promote'combustion. The invert sugar present has abeneficial effect in. the production of taste and aroma, and also from its nature will hold any short pieces of tobacco produced in the cutting process. Further, there is an intimate co-action between the calcium nitrate and the invert sugar in the liquid mass. When the calcium nitrate is mixed with theinvert sugar, or othersuitable sugars insolution, the characteristic sticky feel of the sugar syrup is replaced by one which is substantially greasy, and the resulting liquid mass penetrates the tobacco leaf more readily than when sugars alone are used in solution. As a result of this, breakage encountered in the cutting of tobacco, whereby dust and shorts are produced, is materially lessened. r The liquid mass thus produced may be sprayed upon the cured tobacco leaves intended for cigarette tobacco,: in suitable amounts, as is customary in the-use of glycerine, while the leaves are still whole and before they are cut into the characteristic shreds. Imayuse 3 parts by weight or more of my composition to 100 parts by weight of tobacco. Since my composition has approximately the same specific gravity as glycerine, it may be employed. to replace glycerine pound for pound, andthe'use of my product will require no change in the well known process of sprayin tobacco leaves with glycerine I y be invention is in no sense restricted to results desired. Satisfactory results may be obtained, in some instances, by using a composition containing thefollowing ingredients combined in the proportions stated; invert sugar syrup of not less than 7 5 Brix, l to 260 parts by weight, crystallized calcium nitrate,

" to P y g t, Water, 100; to 260 parts by weight; V.

The proportions of the ingredients may be varied to. suit each indiv id-ual type of'tobacco treated, whether'the tobacco is for cigar, pipe or cigarette smoking. If the water sde creased, while the amounts of the other ingr'edients remain-the same, the solution is heavier; if the calcium nitrateis decreased whilethe amounts of the other ingredients remain the same,"combustionis retarded ,it the amount-of invert sugar is decreased, while the otheringredients remain the same, the binding effect of the solution will be reduced.

While I have described my composition as used in the treatment of tobacco leaves, and as a substitute for glycerine, in such treatment, yet the composition is not. necessarily restricted to such use, as it may be used for other purposes, where it would be advantageous to use glycerine or a similar liquid mass; It is to be understood thattheform ofmy invention herewith shown and described is to be taken asa preferred example of the same and that various changes in the proportions of the several ingredients may be resorted to, and that the order of the steps of the method for producing the composition, may be varied, and that known chemical equivalents may be employed, without departing from the spirit, of my invention, or-the scope of the subj oined claims.

Having thus fully what I claim is; 1

1. The process oftreating tobacco leaves, comprising spraying the same with a'composition comprising invert sugar, calcium nitrate and water. q

2. A liquid compositionfor use in spraying tobacco leaves and having approximately the specific gravity'of95,% glycerine, comprising invert sugar, calcium nitrate, and water.

3. A liquid composition, comprising invert sugar, calcium nitrate, and water. v

4. A liquid composition, comprising subv stantially 260 pounds by wei ht of invert sugarsyrup of notless than $5 Brix, Sllbf stantially 100 parts i by weight or anism nitrate, and substantially260 parts byweight ofwater. I

5, A liquid composition comprising from 1 to 260 parts by weight'of invert sugar syrup described my invention, 

